This Research Scientist Development Award application requests support for a program of study that examines the impact of a male shortage on Afro-American social structure and psycho- social adaptation in the context of recent socio-behavioral theories of the consequences of imbalanced sex ratios. The research questions evolve from the pronounced shortage of Afro- American males relative to females, particularly in large metropolitan areas. Some theorists argue that low sex ratios have historically been associated with distinctive social patterns, including disproportionate numbers of female-headed households, increased births out-of-wedlock, and a high divorce rate. While low Black sex ratios have been cited as problematic by a number of scholars and social commentators since the turn of the century, empirical and meaningful conceptual analysis of their impact on social relationships and mental health has been non-existent. Specifically, the primary objectives of the proposed research program are: 1. To conduct original research on the social psychological and social structural consequences of a male shortage among Afro- Americans, using demographic, survey research, and ethnographic methods. 2. To develop and refine conceptual formulations of the manner in which sex imbalance is related to individual attitudes and values regarding marriage and family and male-female relationships.